August’s book picks celebrate resilience, purpose, and the courage to keep moving forward, whether you’re a college student, a lifelong seeker, or someone standing at a crossroads. Make Your Bed distills Admiral William H. McRaven’s ten life principles into a compact, powerful guide for young adults learning to shape their future one small, disciplined action at a time. The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell offers a deeply human story of belief and hope, following a boy born “different” as he grows into a man who must finally confront the truths he’s spent a lifetime avoiding. And Meet Me in Paris sweeps readers into a tender, interwoven tapestry of love, loss, reinvention, and second chances, set against the luminous backdrop of Paris.

 A Perfect Gift to Give Every College Kid

My grandson is heading back to college this week for his sophomore year, and I am going to tuck this book, Make Your Bed, into his backpack.

It’s based on the commencement speech to the graduating class of the University of Texas in Austin given by Admiral William H. McRaven, a Navy SEAL.  Taking inspiration from the university’s slogan, “What starts here changes the world,” he shared the ten principles he learned during Navy SEAL training that helped him overcome challenges not only in his training and long Naval career, but also throughout his life—lessons that would help change themselves and the world for the better. His speech focused on the importance of doing the little things like making your bed, embracing the fears of life, taking risks, facing bullying, respecting others, and changing the world for generations to come.

Admiral McRaven’s original speech went viral with over 10 million views. Building on the core tenets laid out in his speech, McRaven now recounts tales from his own life and from those of people he encountered during his military service. Told with great humility and optimism, this timeless book provides simple wisdom, practical advice, and words of encouragement that will inspire readers to achieve more, even in life’s darkest moments.

The book was published in 2017 and is still a bestseller on Amazon. So make your bed first, and then start reading. GET THE BOOK.

~Cheryl Benton, aka, The Head Tomato

Watch the speech.

A Story About Belief and Hope

Sam Hill always saw the world through different eyes – he was born with the distinctive red pupils of ocular albinism. When his father saw him at birth, he said “What the hell?” and that became Sam’s last name and the title of the book, The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell by Robert Dugoni.

Told through the perspective of Sam as an adult looking back on his life, we learn the details of Sam’s childhood, the difficult lessons learned from being different, being bullied, being abused by other children and authority figures. He faces loneliness, alienation, and daily ridicule.

However, Sam perseveres, buoyed by his mother’s devout faith and his father’s practical wisdom. Sam’s mother, in particular, is a memorable character: loving, fierce, and unwilling to let her son define himself by other people’s judgments. Strong friendships with two other childhood misfits – Ernie Cantwell the only African American kid in his class, and Mickie Kennedy, a tom-boy who defies traditional gender roles – help carry Sam through childhood, adolescence, and adulthood.

Sam doesn’t understand that the trials of his childhood are not just a series of bad events but actually have an order that defines his life. His perspective as an adult underscores the message  that we all want to believe that something good and meaningful will come from our struggles. Belief and hope give our lives meaning.

Forty years later, Sam is a small-town ophthalmologist, and though he spends his adult life helping others to see, he remains blind to his own circumstances. Rather than dealing with his struggles in his flawed relationships with women, he avoids them, as signified by his covering up his affliction with brown contact lenses.

Running from pain, eyes closed, served little purpose. Now as he looks back on his life, Sam embarks on a journey that will take him halfway around the world. This time his eyes are wide open, bringing into clear view what changed him, defined him, and made him so afraid, until he can finally see what truly matters. GET THE BOOK.

~Joan Pagano, owner Joan Pagano Fitness, NYC

Love, Loss, and Second Chances

Meet Me in Paris, by Kristin Harmel, is a story about nine Americans in Paris.  It is beautifully written about each of the characters, while also bringing Paris alive on the pages of her novel.  The story is about love, loss, and second chances; it takes place over the course of one week.

Julia Glover has brought her twenty-three-year-old daughter, Piper, to Paris for the first time.  They also know it will be their last trip together; Julia is dying.  They want to make some special memories in Paris.  Piper meets a cute French waiter, who seems very interested in her.  Julia meets a man in a dive bar and does not quite know how to be honest with him about her health condition.

Rock star Jackson Quick’s fame has long been over.  After having a few hit songs thirty years ago, he has not toured in a decade.  This time in Paris he will launch his reunion tour where his career began.  When he meets a woman in a dive bar, he realizes he wants more out of life now than being alone every day.  The spark he feels for her is different than anything he has felt for other women in the past.

Henry McGee has been writing songs for years-including Jackson Quick’s biggest hit, City of Light.  His secret is that every song Henry has written has been for a woman named, Celeste, whom he loved when they were teenagers in Paris.  He has returned to Paris to try and find her and reconnect with her.  Henry’s granddaughter, Melody has just learned her husband, Gilles is having an affair.  They have been married for twenty years.  Gilles is a successful cosmetic executive.  When she confronts him, he apologizes and begs her to forgive him.  He also tells her he has broken off the relationship.  Now, Melody must decide if she wants him back or make a fresh start in life.

These stories, plus a few more take place over a week in spring.  I love how Harmel was able to bring all these stories together.  She has written a fabulous book about love, family, friendship, and most of all about learning to love oneself.  I really loved this book and highly recommend it.  It was a five-star read for me. GET THE BOOK

~Francene Katzman, advocate for parents of children with addictions, Richmond, VA